Syria silent on Arab League deadline amid deadly violence

The Syrian government stayed silent Friday on an Arab League deadline that had been extended to give Damascus more time to consider allowing in Arab monitors, even as opposition members said at least 18 people were killed by government forces, dpa reported.

The pro-Syrian Hezbollah television Al Manar, quoting unnamed Syrian sources, said the "statements about extending the deadline for Syria to sign the deal about monitors do not concern Damascus."

On Thursday, the Arab League gave Damascus 24 hours to endorse the deal on monitors and halt violence against the opposition.

But the deadline expired Friday at noon with no response from Syria.

An Arab diplomat based in Beirut said discussions among Arab countries had agreed to give "Syria more time, until Friday night, to review the League's demand" to allow in 500 observers to protect civilians.

"Syria has agreed to allow only 40 Arab monitors into the country," the diplomat said, adding that there were major differences in the Arab League on the situation inside Syria.

A source at the Cairo-based Arab League said Friday that Syria had asked for further clarifications before meeting the organization's deadline.

Arab economy ministers are to meet in Cairo on Saturday to discuss possible economic sanctions on Syria.

The bloc's foreign ministers are also expected to meet on Sunday for further talks on Syria.

"We think it is now vital to put an end to the suffering of the Syrian people," said Davutoglu at a joint press conference with his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh.

Pro-government Syrians, meanwhile, held rallies across the country, denouncing the Arab League's deadline and accusing the organization of being a tool of Western countries.

As the political pressure mounted on Damascus, Syrian security forces Friday shelled the provinces of Hama, Homs, Idlib and Daraa, which are focal points of protests against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad, an opposition activist said.

"Ten people were killed in Homs, while eight others were shot by (Syrian President Bashar) al-Assad's thugs in Hama and Daraa," the activist, who wanted to be identified only as Howzan, told dpa.

More than 40 people were arrested by government forces on Friday in several areas of Syria, according to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

It added that at least 37 were detained in a crackdown in Homs.

Meanwhile, a Syrian military official confirmed Friday reports that 10 army personnel, including six pilots, were killed in "terrorist" attack.

"An armed terrorist group on Thursday undertook an evil plot that martyred six pilots, a technical officer, and three other personnel on an air force base between Homs and Palmyra," the unnamed military spokesman told state television.

The Syrian Free Army, a group of army defectors, claimed late Thursday that its members had killed seven military pilots in an attack on their bus in Homs.

The Geneva-based UN Committee Against Torture said on Friday it had received reports of massive human rights violations in Syria, including the detention and mutilation of children.

"The committee has reviewed numerous, consistent and substantiated reports and information about widespread rights violations in the country," the head of the panel, Claudio Grossman, said in a statement.

More than 3,500 people have been killed in Syria since anti-government protests erupted in mid-March, according to the United Nations.